Immortal Bonds 2: Soul Longings
by NavyWriterChic
Summary: Book Two of Immortal Bonds When a rare alignment of planets and a vampire holiday, Henry Fitzroy has the change to experience mortality...and there is nothing more he wants than to be with his love Vicki Nelson. However, Asteroth is not willing to give her up and will stop at nothing to get her back. Will they or won't they?
1. Chapter 1 -- My Heart's desire

**_Here is story number two after _Black Union_. The title was Soul Longings, but I have been tossing around different titles for it. _**

**_Anyway, it has been about a month since BU and the trust is still building. _**

* * *

**Chapter One - My heart's desire**

**Henry Fitzroy's apartment**

It was another typical evening in Toronto, Canada. People moved to head home from their employers or headed out to explore the nightlife of the city.

Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII and Duke of Richmond and Somerset was enthralled in the passion with a woman in his bed. He pressed his body weight down upon her, holding her hands in his against the pillow. He did not want his partner to leave him.

He had been waiting for this moment his entire life.

His hand released one of the hands and stroked up across the wrist.

Tattooed on the wrist was a Celtic Shield of Protection.

Her skin was soft and perspired to the touch, making it easy for him to slide up her arm and touch the rest of Victoria Nelson's body.

She groaned before releasing his name from her lips, a temporary gap from where their mouths had yet to part, but in order to allow her to breathe, they parted.

Once it was over, Henry hovered over; staring down with lust upon his partner.

"How'd I do?" he asked her.

Vicki reached up for his choker and pulled him down onto her. "You put Mike Celluci to shame," she said, her warm breath on his face.

Henry forced his hands between the bed and her body to hold her against him. "Well, I aim to please," he told her before coming to rest on his front side. "Care to go another round?"

"Let me rest for a minute," she told him. "Have you fed yet?"

"Who needs to feed when I…" his words trailed off as he stared at her neck. He could not resist the pull of her scent, the blood that flowed under her skin.

His feral lust grasped hold of him and would not release him…until he satisfied his primitive needs.

With powerful force, he thrusted his fangs into Vicki's neck and began to feast on her blood. He tried pulling away, but the blood was sweet and intoxicating. He wanted more and more.

"Henry," Vicki cried out his name in agony. "Henry stop," she begged.

But he could not. He wanted more…more, more, more.

Vicki's nails clawed onto his back as she tried to cause him pain to where he would be forced to release her, but he did not.

"Henry," she cried out his name loudly, but he pressed his hand onto her face to silence her.

* * *

Henry shot up from the dream that he was having when the sun released him and he reached out, hoping to find that Vicki was beside him and nothing had happened to her.

No one was with him. He was alone.

_What a dream_, he thought. No, it was a nightmare.

Why would he dream of hurting Vicki? He loved her more than his own immortal life. Ever since moving back to Toronto and nearly losing her to the demon Asteroth, his whole world came into focus again. He wanted Vicki, but not to harm her anyway.

She had been through enough since he left the first time and he would not dare harm her again.

But that still didn't give him a reason to why he was dreaming again? The last time he dreampt was when Patchakamek had wanted to steal his immortal life-force. He saw his own death.

So why now would he be dreaming of hurting Vicki while they made love?

He knew that he needed to get out and find Vicki and make sure that she was OK.

* * *

**Nelson Investigations**

Victoria Nelson walked up the steps to her office and walked inside, while checking the mail at the same time. "Bill, bill, bill, sweepstakes," she read as she flipped through the mail. "If only you weren't a scam, I could use the money. Coreen," she called out.

Coreen did not answer, but she was talking to someone in her office.

"Coreen," she bellowed and finally Coreen and Henry's ward Tony appeared from her office. "Why didn't you get the mail this morning?"

"I was busy," her assistant said to her. "Tony and I met up at the coffee shop today and he alerted me to something that only happens once every five-hundred years."

Vicki headed into her office and saw the telescope positioned to look out her window. "Star gazing?" she said, not impressed.

"It is a rare planetary alignment of the planets will occur," Tony said. "Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be in alignment for three days during the Northern Lights."

"If I want to star-gaze, I would expect that they would be saying that Henry and I were…" she was saying as her phone was ringing. "Speaking of shooting stars. Hey," she answered the phone.

"_Vicki, are you alright_?" Henry asked. He sounded somewhat upset.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Watching your ward and my assistant bring more junk into my already junk-filled office to do some stargazing instead of working. What's up?"

"_Nothing_," he replied. "_Just had a bad feeling. Wanted to make sure that you were OK_."

"Fit as a fiddle. Hey maybe this Celtic Shield of protection thing is doing its job," she said as she stared at it.

"_Let's hope so. Were we still on for dinner this evening_?" he asked.

"Was that tonight?"

"_We've only been planning it for two weeks Vicki_," Henry replied. "_You, me, a quiet restaurant with no one around. No demons, no dark priests…_"

"Just you and me?"

"_Just you and me. Are you coming or not_?"

"You know I honestly thought that was next week and I made an appointment to meet a client outside the Garrison Construction Company this evening," she said. "Can we make a rain-check for…"

'_You are canceling on me again are you_?" Henry said. "_Well you know me all too well. I'll keep waiting for that perfect time for you and I to…_"

"Vicki you have to see this," Coreen screeched from her office.

"Coreen," she shouted. "Sorry about that," she spoke into the phone. "How about tomorrow?"

"_You mean it this time_?" he asked her.

* * *

**Fitzroy's apartment**

"_Yes. I'll take care of business and then I will come to you. Dinner and a movie, promise," _her sweet voice told him.

"I believe you," Henry replied as he was checking his calendar. "Oh, I have an appointment at the Opera House tomorrow as he was reading. "Should only take me about an hour and I'll be back here. How about 10 for a late, late supper?"

"_It's a date_," she told him. "_See you tomorrow night_."

"Good luck on your case this evening," he told her.

"_Oh yeah. Fun-ness coming my way on a money laundering case. I'm going to have to get a shot of caffeine to prevent the boredom_."

"Want some company?" he asked.

"_I told Paulo I would meet him alone because he is skittish about being busted as the informant_," Vicki replied.

"Oh come on Vicki you have to see Mercury and Venus burning as one," he heard Tony shout from the office.

"When they get done stargazing, will you make sure that Tony doesn't spend the night on your couch again?" Henry asked. "He has chores that he needs to get done here and sleeping over at your office is preventing him from doing so."

"_I'll tell him. So, I'll see you tomorrow_."

"Yeah, till tomorrow," he replied.

"_Bye_," she said.

"Bye," he waited, just hearing her breathe and waited for the call to disconnect before he closed his phone.

Henry reached for his long jacket to put on. He needed to go feed before he headed over to the Metropolitan Opera. It was a part of his sacred duty.

Tonight was the beginning of the Vampires Sacrificial Holiday. It was a sacred holiday to all the undead where all vampires feasted this night and go on sabbatical for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow on the first night, they would make restitution to the area where they often fed on.

Since Henry often found the Opera district the most appealing to feast on, he would submit a check for one-hundred thousand dollars to go to the Youth Development Program and to provide maintenance for the building. It was the least he could do for all that they had _offered_ him.

He knew that this was a sacred holiday and he planned on observing it…even if his fellow cohorts would not. Those that were true to who they had become would follow the traditions.

Henry drove his car to the opera district and parked in a parking place.

He nearly forgot the check in the car and had to reach in and grab it, but suddenly he dropped his keys into a puddle.

"Bloody Hell," he grumbled and grabbed the keys.

As his hand rose from the water, he couldn't help but notice that his hand was lightly shaking.

This was a sensation that he was not used to and wondered why he was shaking. He was alright as far as blood. He had fed on his way and would be good for the weekend.

The shaking stopped and he proceeded into the Opera House.

* * *

**Toronto Opera House**_** (Manager's office)**_

"Well, Mr. Fitzroy," the Opera Manager said to him as he observed the check that he had given them. "This is indeed a generous gift."

"It is the least I can do for the place that entertains and _fills_ my soul with joy," Henry replied to the comments. "I only hope that you will be able to keep the doors open and allow the Youth Development program running."

"This will help them to go to a Summer Camp next year to prepare for their next major performance."

"Oh really. What opera will they be performing?" he wanted to know.

"They are dead set on Romeo and Juliet because they are young kids performing, but we are looking at Tosca if we can convince them to want to do it."

Henry noticed his hand was twitching yet again and he concealed it between his leg and the side of the chair. "Well, either play; I would be honored to see it next season."

"And an honored guest you will be Mr. Fitzroy," the manager Reginald said as they came to meet beside the desk. They shook hands. "Oh, your hands are quite warm," he said. "I guess that heater is acting up yet again."

He thought his hands would be cold, but for some reason he was feeling warmer.

"I must be going monsignor," he said. "I look forward to your next performance."

"We are finishing up with Faust," the manager told him. "Then we will be working on our traditional Phantom of the Opera for the Winter Season."

Henry nodded and proceeded out of the Opera House. He wanted to get to his car and get home.

But his body was changing. The temperature within rose as though he were on fire during the dawn.

The night sky and the colorful lights of the Aurora Borealis were shining over him. The night was cool, not warm.

The organs in his body shifted and moved violently.

He got to his car and tried to grasp onto the hood, but fell down and hit the puddle. His sight was blurring on him, the sense of smell and taste were fading, and he was very warm for some reason.

With his eyes so foggy, he barely could see the tall, hunkering African American that was glaring down at him as this parasite tore him apart from the inside.

"Henry," the man's deep voice said to him.

"Augustus?" Henry said his friend's name. "What…"

"Don't worry about it until dawn," the voice said to him as he lifted him up from under his arms. "I will explain it once I get you home."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"We'll answer that question as well as why you are here later," Augustus replied.

Henry felt himself crash against the backseat of his car and the Watcher started his car.

He felt like he was dying, but why.

"Vicki," he called out his love's name, hoping that she would feel his pain and come running to his side.

* * *

**Old**** Town**** warehouse**

Victoria Nelson arrived in the cab and asked for the driver to wait for her there. She was only going to be a few minutes. She walked around the corner of the building and waited where she had ordered that Paulo was supposed to meet her.

She hated these late nights of having to meet clients, but when you discover that your company maybe laundering money, Vicki knew that coming to her office would be dangerous.

That's why they agreed near the docks would be the best place to meet.

She would rather be out to dinner with Henry than out here in the middle of nowhere meeting a client. Ever since the whole dark wedding and nearly losing Henry all over again, she wanted to spend every moment with him that she could.

They were trying to make it work out. They had planned on dinner twice already and the first time it was him cancelling and the second time it was her. With her crazy work schedule and his unable to do things during the day, it was a wonder when they would be able to have that moment alone they'd wanted to have for so long.

Who knows what would happen when they finally did get that moment?

Her thoughts were broken when someone called her name in a cowardly voice.

"Mr. Fontana?" she said his name.

"That's me," her client replied. "Thank you for meeting me."

"Yeah, well it's not like I had plans tonight anyway," she answered sarcastically. "I understand you have something for me."

"I don't have it with me today," Paulo said. "I can get it for you tomorrow. I tried to burn a CD disc for you, but I was caught before I could finish it. I'll have it tomorrow because the boss is out of the city."

* * *

Someone was watching the two talking from afar. They had binoculars locked on them as they were talking.

"You know that I was kidding about the sarcasm," the woman whom they were watching said. "I did have plans and canceled them. Now I have plans for tomorrow and you are telling me that I have to bail on them for tomorrow. I tell you, the guy I'm trying to have dinner with, he bites."

"I'm sorry Ms. Nelson," the man said. "I promise to have the information tomorrow."

* * *

Paulo reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Here is the down payment that I owe you for your services plus extra for putting up with my incompetence," he said to her. "Please accept it."

"Oh I will," Vicki replied.

Paulo started walking away and she returned to the street where she would get in her cab and maybe salvage this night somehow.

Perhaps she would head over to Henry's and see if he wanted to just watch a movie or something. Anything, just to be near him.

* * *

The person that was listening in walked closer toward the female. She was the one that his god was calling for him to take.

"_Take her_," the voice echoed in his head.

"Yes Master," the person replied and quietly gave chase.

The person in the long black duster followed, but not so close as to give her any idea that she was being followed.

What their master wanted was what he received?

* * *

Vicki was walking toward the main road, but suddenly her wrist started to itch. It was a burning itch, but a cool twinge that grabbed her attention.

"Ow," she said aloud and yanked the buttons to expose her wrist.

It was the Celtic Shield of Protection that was giving her the feelings.

Or was it a warning of some kind.

She looked around her surroundings and slowly reached into her jacket pocket for her asp while she was still walking.

It only another ten yards and she would be where her cab was waiting.

* * *

The person drew closer to his target and she would be in his possession; pleasing his master greatly.

* * *

Suddenly, Vicki turned around, snapped the asp out of her pocket in extension, and turned to the person that was following her.

The person in the black trenchcoat reached out for her for her crossbody bag, but she was not prepared for when he touched her, a bright blue bubble wrapped around her and she was protected from all harm.

The attacker was actually knocked to the ground away from her.

"OK, not something I did," Vicki said in astonishment.

Her attacker tried to tackle her, but he came and the same reaction; only he was repelled in the opposite direction to her left side. He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

The dark figure was staring at her as she was the one that they really wanted.

"You think that third time is going to be the charm over a stupid purse?" she asked him.

The person fled in the opposite direction from where they had come from and she was finally able to finish the route back to the cab.

Vicki climbed into the back seat and sat town. "Can you take me back home?" she told the cabbie.

"Yes ma'am," the Jamaican born cab driver replied. "Did you meet with whomever you were supposed to meet with?"

"Yeah," she replied, "and then some." She looked down to her wrist with the shield on it, touching the cool frost that had developed on the icon.

She reached into her other pocket and pulled out her cell-phone. She needed to talk to someone who may know something about what had just occurred.

She speed-dialed Henry.

"The wireless customer you are trying to reach is currently out of range of service," the automated message said to her.

Vicki was shocked at the response on the phone.

Henry out of range…on the night that they were supposed to go out? Where did he go?

* * *

_**Who could be after Vicki now? What is wrong with Henry? Review and find out**_


	2. Chapter 2 -- Don't tempt me

Let's find out what is wrong with Henry

* * *

**Chapter 2: Don't tempt me**

_Henry Fitzroy's Apartment_

Henry was lying in bed, trying to claw his way out of the darkness to find out what had happened outside the Metropolitan Opera House.

He remembered his heart was beating…Augustus.

Yes, Augustus.

And his eyes finally opened as he sat up sharply. It was all a bad dream. It had to be. He saw that it was twelve, but it eyes must have been playing tricks on him.

The clock said it was twelve P.M. If it was twelve P.M., he should be asleep right now.

Henry stood up and checked his cellular phone on his dresser. It said the same thing; and actually clicked one minute over.

"Having irrational thoughts?" a deep voice said to him.

He turned and saw Augustus standing in his doorway.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he also added.

"What happened to me?" Henry asked.

"Something remarkable. Something that only happens to vampires every thousand years or so."

He was looking around his room and was feeling the areas of his body that tingled.

"What only happens?" he asked.

"Can't tell you," Augustus replied as he reached into his jacket, "but I can certainly show you." It was the remote to his blinds.

His friend pushed the button.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

The Watcher pushed the button.

Henry whipped in the direction of the blinds as his worst fears of that it was indeed daylight shining into his apartment.

He howled in pain as the light came in. He knew that he was going to burn alive because his 'friend' was opening his blinds.

But there was no pain. No fire. No immolation.

Henry looked directly at the sun that was shining in at him. The warmth filled his body and warmed within his soul and flesh.

He was OK.

"You've changed my boy," Augustus said to him. "You have been changed into a mortal man."

"A mortal? How?" he asked.

"A combination of the vampire's sacrificial holiday, the Northern Lights, and the planetary alignment has lightened the veil between immortality and mortality," Augustus was explaining. "The family and I only realized what was going to happen about two days before. I knew you would no doubt be freaked out…what are you doing?"

Henry was taking his pulse and counting the beats. Normally as a vampire, his heart would be under ten beats a minute.

It was a healthy seventy-five beats per minute.

Augustus was right. He was human.

"How long?" Henry asked.

"Well Henry," his friend was replying to him, "there is no telling. There are no records or recordings of what happened the last time that this happened. There could be all kinds of side-effects…"

"How long?" he demanded to know.

"It has to be until the alignment is completed. On Monday at sunrise, the alignment will move out…"

"…and I'll become a vampire again," he said in a low voice. "Do I have all the abilities of a mortal?"

"Go outside and find out," Augustus said to him before fading back and leaving the through the front door.

He decided that he was going to check this out.

Henry stepped off the elevator and that is when Greg the doorman was there talking with the day-shift doorman Carl.

They were both shocked to see him walk off the elevator and headed toward the door. He did not know if it was gravity that was pushing him toward the door or his avid curiosity of if he was going to burst into flames when he walked out.

"Mr. Fitzroy?" Greg said to him. "Are you OK?"

"More than fine," he replied. "I thought I would go out and explore the day." He proceeded to head for the door.

The two men were watching as he did proceed and softly pushed open the door to the apartment tower.

Henry did not look directly up into the sunshine at first, but he did walk out from under the awning into the sun.

No pain.

He kept walking out further into the light and then craned his head toward the sun.

The warmth of the glowing sphere rained down on him and he treasured the feeling of the heat as well as the glow on his skin.

Henry was in heaven.

* * *

In his dark blue Sedan, Mike Celluci was driving down the street on the radio with dispatch. He was being sent to scene of a body found outside of the Cultural Center near the college campus.

"This is Detective Sergeant Celluci," he spoke into the radio. "I am heading to that 187 at the cultural center. Make sure that the M.E. is on scene this time dispatch…"

That is when he got the shock of his life.

He was passing the apartment of Henry Fitzroy, only he saw him standing outside in the glowing sun.

"What the Hell?" he shouted as he stopped the car abruptly on the curb and climbed out. "What in the Hell are you doing?" he shouted at him as he pushed him out of the way under the awning. "You finally deciding that five-hundred years is long enough?"

"It's not what you think?" Fitzroy tried to say to him.

"Wait a second, aren't you supposed to be asleep during the day?" Mike berated him.

"Let me explain," he tried to, but he wasn't going to hear. Plus, the two doormen were watching.

"We're taking this downtown," Mike growled and tossed him toward the vehicle, "after I go check on the body that is near the Cultural Center."

Henry climbed into the vehicle and Mike got back into the driver's seat to steer the car away from the building.

"So what sort of spell did you cast or demon you make a deal with to give you the chance to walk in the sunlight?" Mike asked as he drove.

"I made no deals, I did not cast any spells," Fitzroy said to him. "It just happened."

"Oh that is bull Fitzroy. You don't just go out for one night and suddenly you can walk outside. What did you and Vicki do last night?"

"Vicki had nothing to do with this," Henry told him. "It is something that happened due to the planetary alignment, the Northern Lights, and the Vampires' Sacrificial Holiday. I'll be mortal through the weekend. Red light."

"What?"

"Red light," Fitzroy repeated.

Mike nearly blew through the red light, but stopped just in time. Henry was jostled in the car a little bit, but stopped himself from going through the windshield.

"Will you be careful!" Henry shouted. "I don't think that if I go through the windshield that I would survive. Please wait until Monday to kill me please."

The light changed and the car lurched forward.

"So you're mortal?" Mike asked.

"Through Monday."

"What does Vicki have to say about this?"

"She doesn't know yet," Henry said, "but I am hoping to get to tell her…that's if you don't kill me first."

"Don't tempt me." he lashed out. "Once I get done checking this body out, we are going to call her and then we are going to have a nice, long chat."

* * *

Henry is mortal! Please review


	3. Chapter 3 -- Missing you

_**Let's see who is missing.**_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Missing You**

_**Nelson Investigations**_

Vicki Nelson sat at her desk as she was speaking to a client about her missing daughter Hannah. She was supposed to have walked home with her fiancé the prior evening, but Tomas had to work late and she decided to head off for home.

The mother was hysterical and Coreen had just walked into the office with a large dress-bag in her hands.

"Sorry," she mouthed as she walked in and went into her bathroom to put the bag.

"I am worried about Hannah," Mrs. Royce said to her. "It's not like her to be missing or to walk away."

"Was she under any kind of stress or anything else that was going on between her and her fiancé?" Vicki asked.

"Everything was fine. He even suggested that she stay at the Library near the Cultural Center so that he could come and meet her," the mother said as she blotted her eyes and took care of her runny nose. "I just wish that she wasn't so independent and waited for him to come. Then she would be home and no one would have taken her."

"I'm sure that she will turn up," she told the mother. "Now you have to realize that there is a possibility of a bad result."

"I understand." Mrs. Royce surrendered the check for the five-hundred dollars for the first day. "You will let me know what you find?"

"As soon as I do, you will know," Vicki replied.

The mother soon got up from the chair and headed out of her office.

Coreen soon reentered and came to her. "Is there anything else that you need me to do?" she asked.

"For what?" Vicki asked.

"For your date tonight, duh."

Vicki set down her papers in a huff and looked to her. "I'm not going all out for this. It's just dinner with Henry."

"Oh, I'm sure that it will be just dinner if you are going to style your hair, get your dress altered and dry cleaned, and you're cancelling your evening appointments so you can meet Mr. Fontana and then have your romantic evening with Henry."

"I wouldn't go that far." Vicki proceeded to leave the office to go into the bathroom.

"I would. You know that ever since the two of you went through the dark ceremony and battle with Asteroth, you two have been cancelling dinners and dates left and right. The two of you are on course for a very romantic, maybe even a little…"

"Don't," Vicki blurted out with her hand in Coreen's face. "Don't want to think about it."

"Oh come on. You can't honestly say that you haven't wondered what it would be like to be _with_ him."

Vicki decided to keep her mouth shut and shut the door to the bathroom to keep her away.

She stared at herself in the mirror after she washed her hands. In the mirror, the dress bag hung on the hook on the wall, stared at her reflection.

She turned and undid the zipper to release the dress.

The long black dress had a light shimmer to the silk. It was spaghetti strapped and would be very tight at the chest, but the shimmering veils would fall to her ankles. The shoes were stiletto heel that would string her legs to the mid-calf.

She did have to admit. She was hoping that this would seduce Henry and they would experience each other in the most primal of fashions. It was something that she was looking forward to. Henry had fed on her in previous years.

It would be only natural that this would be the next step.

And Vicki Nelson was going to invite her lover to take her.

* * *

**Abandoned car assembly plant**

The Ford Canadian plant was now empty and abandoned, but that was by the people that used to work in the plant.

It was being used for more sinister means.

An altar was surrounded by candles and candelabras while a demonic symbol was engraved into the floor.

Everything was prepared, but they were still lacking one central detail.

They needed the woman that their master was asking for.

The leader had attempted to grab her last evening, but something prevented him from getting his hands on her.

Now his Master was berating him as he knelt before the altar and the glowing flame was speaking to him.

"You disappointment Derrick," his master's voice said to him. "You told me that it would be easy to get my precious Victoria and bring her here, but yet I see two women and they are not my bride-to-be. Why?"

"My humblest apologizes Master," Derrick said. "We will get her this time."

"And how do you plan on it?"

"All of us are going and we are going to wrap her in her magical shield and take her by force…"

"Did you say magical shield?" his master interrupted his groveling. "My Victoria has a shield."

"It activated without her doing a thing," he said to the flame. "It was instantaneous."

"_He_ must have changed her icons with his purifying of her soul." His master was angry. "Well, I can change that."

"How?" Derrick asked.

The flame glowed brighter and lashed toward his hand.

When Derrick opened his hand, there was a bottle in his palm of glowing red liquid.

"Throw this at her when her shield comes up," his Master said. "It will curse the shield and come down, allowing you and _your _followers to grab her. Bring her here so that tonight, she can witness the fruits of the alignment. With those two precious morsels to spill, Victoria will soon belong to me again. Now…go."

Derrick bowed and left

* * *

Asteroth laughed as his brain-dead follower left the factory with the potion that he gave him. Little did this mortal knew that once Victoria was cursed again and she belonged to him, he would have her kill them all and begin the slaughtering to create the icon which would in turn release him back into the mortal world.

How he longed to finish what they had started nearly a month ago.

It was all coming together now…and soon, he would be free again.

* * *

One of the women that was caged beside the other one while a third cell remained empty stood with her hands clinched on the bars.

She wondered why she was here and if she was going to be let go. If only she had stayed at the library until Tomas had come to meet her. She wouldn't be where she was.

The other woman that she had been talking to was a prostitute named Amelia, but she called herself Cherri; like the fruit, she made a point to correct her.

But they had nothing in common so why were they here? According to what she overheard, they were looking for a woman named Victoria. What was it with this Victoria?

Maybe when they found her, they would be released?

Hannah prayed for it be so.

* * *

_**So we found the missing girl, but now Asteroth is back in the picture. What will happen next?**_


	4. Chapter 4 -- Honey, I'm home

_**Let's see if Vicki makes it to her date night or not.**_

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Honey, I'm home**

**Vicki Nelson Investigations**

Vicki peeked out of the bathroom to see if anyone was around. She knew that Coreen had said that she was leaving for the night, but she wasn't going to fooled when she walked out in her dress.

But she was the only one in the office so she stepped out.

The spiked heels were new so she practically walked like a penguin with a stick up its ass. Her right leg appeared from the slit up the right side. She had on nylons that draped to her thighs, but the shimmering veils concealed them from showing so.

She adjusted her chest to give her the right amount of oomph at the top. Obviously Henry would be impressed by the dress, but at least enough to get through dinner.

As she was putting on her dark rouge lip-color, the cell-phone beeped that she had a text message.

"Oh, he better not be cancelling on me," she said as she looked to the phone.

It was from Coreen saying, "good luck tonight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. 'he he he."

"And what would you not do Coreen?" she asked aloud to herself. "Probably nothing."

She headed out.

The phone inside the office started ringing, but she was running late for her meeting with Mr. Fontana and she wanted to get it over with so she could be on her way to Henry's and her date.

The cab she had called for was waiting for her at the curb and she climbed in. "Industrial area," she asked the driver to take her to her meeting.

But the phone inside the office continued to ring.

* * *

**Toronto Metro Police Department**

Michael Celluci waited as the phone continued to ring at Vicki's office, but she was not answering. Where had she gone?

This day was getting weirder and weirder. First a body is found in the posh Cultural Center area and then Fitzroy was suddenly able to walk out in the sunlight, and finally Vicki was not answering the phone.

Wait, that's not uncommon.

He finally hung up. "She's not answering," Mike said as he looked at his watch. "It's only 7:30. Her and Coreen are usually working right now."

"She was supposed to be having dinner with me this evening Detective," Henry said, his fingertips on both hands pressed together near his mouth. He was trying to conceal a cocky smile. "I know that you wanted to know that little tidbit."

"TMI Fitzroy, TMI," he replied. "It still doesn't mean that she wouldn't be answering her phone."

"Well," Henry said as he sat up to grab his coat and leave. "I would not like to keep the lady waiting and I can't run like the wind anymore so I want to get home and greet my partner for the night."

"Do you know where she is supposed to be?" Mike asked.

"She is meeting a Mr. Paulo Fontana about the case that she is currently working on and then she is going to be with me."

"Does she know about your new mortal state?"

"I intend on telling her this evening," he told his romantic rival. "Or I intend on…"

"Ah ah, stop there," Mike repeated to block out the unpleasant vision that manifested in his mind.

Dr. Rajani Mohadevan entered the conference room where they were talking with a file in her hand. "I have ascertained the identity of our mystery man from the cultural center. Victim was shot with a 9mm pistol with a small barrel," she was explaining. "He knew who killed him by the cleanness of the bullet wound."

"Almost professional hit?" Mike hypothesized. "Mob?"

"It would have to be," she said. "The name of the man is Paulo Fontana."

Henry Fitzroy stopped in the doorway cold, feeling his newly beating heart as it thumped hard against his chest. He swallowed hard as he tried to catch his breath.

"There has to be some sort of mistake," he heard Mike ask of the Medical Examiner. "This man is meeting Vicki tonight for a meeting."

"There is no mistake Detective," Mohadevan countered. "His records put him in the system with a few priors and his dental records prove that the man I have is Paulo Fontana."

"May I see that?" Henry asked.

Mike handed over the picture and he stared at the man with the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.

He quickly reached for his phone and dialed Vicki on speed-dial. "Come on Vicki, pick up," he prayed.

Nothing. Her voicemail picked up.

Mike did the same thing, but he instead dialed Coreen. "Yeah Coreen, where is Vicki?'

"She's on her way to her meeting with Paulo Fontana and then she is going to a friend's," he heard the hesitance in her voice.

"Cut the crap Coreen," Mike said. "I know that she is going to Henry's, but do you know where her meeting with Paulo Fontana at?"

"Near the Industrial Area near the Garrison Construction plant," she answered. "She should be there by now."

"Well, she's not meeting Fontana. He's dead in the morgue right now."

Henry was freaking out and found that his breath was short. He needed to relax.

The medical examiner was concerned about him and came to help him relax. "This is not the same man I have seen sharing time with Vicki," she said. "Are you well?"

"Beyond explanation," he replied, "but we need to find Vicki."

Celluci hung up the phone. "Coreen said that she was meeting Fontana outside the Industrial Park at seven to pick up the information and then she was to come to you," the detective said. "We can be there in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes too late," Henry said as they walked out of the room together. He was putting on his coat. "Why did I have to be mortal on the one night when Vicki does need me? She's in danger and I am too weak to save her."

"Talk to your precious cosmic god who is getting his jollies this weekend," Mike replied and they climbed into his car. "Dispatch, I need to know if there is a unit near the Industrial Park?" he called into the radio.

"I will never forgive myself if something happens to her," he mumbled to himself.

"Detective Celluci, this is Unit thirty-two," a female officer came over the radio. "I will be passing the Industrial Park in five minutes. Did you need something?"

"I need you to be looking for a female walking or meeting with someone out there," Mike called into the radio. "She might be in danger."

Celluci drove fast with the siren blaring as they left the police department.

Henry begged that Vicki was OK or that she would know who it was that she was meeting. Hopefully her markings would protect her and she would be able fight back if she were jumped.

He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her.

* * *

**Industrial Park**

The cab came to a stop and Vicki Nelson asked for the cab driver to wait for her. She wouldn't be long with the meeting with Mr. Fontana.

She walked cautiously in her heels toward the corner where she had met her informant the first time. She was running a little late and she hoped that Fortuna hadn't stood her up.

If he had, she would be even more pissed hat she took the time to meet this scumbag who was too chicken to go to the police and instead called her.

Her watch beeped that it was quarter after seven.

"OK, I am not waiting any more," she said and started back for where her cab was waiting.

"Ms. Nelson," a voice called out to her.

Vicki turned around and saw the person coming toward her.

"About time Mr. Fontana," she said. "I am running late and you're making me later. I have somewhere to be."

"That you do," the voice said to her.

"How do you know?"

"You've been away from the Master too long. He has been missing you."

This was not Paulo Fontana that was coming toward her. It was something else.

She started backing away from the person that was walking toward her. This was not going to be good unless she got out of there.

She did not have her Asp in her purse with her so she had to rely on her markings to do something to protect her like it did the first time.

Once the man was in the light, she recognized him as the one that had tried to purse snatch her the night before. That's when the shield had worked to repel him the first time.

"I'm taking that you are wanting to be knocked on your ass again," she said.

"This time, I have been equipped against your good magic," the man said to her. "Our Master is well aware of what magic has defiled you and intends on making you whole again."

Vicki knew exactly who this loon was talking about. She had tried to put the whole nearly marital event with Asteroth behind her, but apparently some were not ready to let go.

She backed up and when she turned around, she noticed that she was surrounded by even more people. Some were armed with bully clubs and other weapons to grab her, but the leader was the only one who was unarmed.

"Hey, mind telling them what happened when you tried to touch me?" she asked him.

The leader pulled out a vial that was glowing red in his hand. "That is why your Master prepared this for you," he said. "It is medicine so that you feel better. Heal you of this curse that has been placed upon you."

"Not feeling very sick right now," she said.

One of the men attacked her and like radar, her shield popped up around her. She was able to punch him square in the nose with her whole palm.

"Bet you Asteroth didn't teach you that one," she snapped.

The leader tossed the vial into the shield and she was knocked to the wet pavement.

Her shield vaporized on her.

"Take her," their commander ordered.

The men assaulted her with the clubs and were able to take her down. She was so weak after being hit that they were able to scoop her up without her struggling.

"Excellent," the leader said. "Let's get her inside. The Master will be pleased."

Vicki was suddenly blindfolded and did not see where it was she was being taken. She tried screaming, but hands thoroughly sealed themselves around her mouth and she could not see.

* * *

A lone Toronto Police Cruiser slowed down their speed and blasted the large light in the direction of the abandoned Industrial Area. It had been once home to an automotive car building facility before it shut down due to lack of selling vehicles all over the world.

The officer that was inside the cruiser climbed out and flashed her light into the complex to get a better look. There was no one around when Detective-Sergeant Mike Celluci said that there was someone; Private Investigator Victoria Nelson was supposedly out here.

But she saw no one.

* * *

**Toronto Metro Police Department**

"Detective Celluci, this is Unit thirty-two," the female voice that both Mike Celluci and Henry Fitzroy were waiting to call in with a report.

Henry was about to reach for the radio when Mike glared into the former vampire's eyes. "I can shoot you now, remember," Mike told him, "and you'll bleed. I'll answer it."

Henry recoiled and allowed Celluci to answer the radio.

"This is Detective Celluci," Mike answered the call. "Did you locate Ms. Nelson?"

"_That is a negative_," the female officer replied. "_There is no one out there_."

"Impossible," Henry whispered aloud.

"Are you sure?" Mike asked.

"_I've gone in for a look. The gate is locked up and no peoples or vehicles present_."

"They have to keep looking," Henry begged.

"Thanks officer," Mike replied.

"Have them search building to building," Henry ordered standing up with a start and slamming his hands on the table. If he had been a vampire, he could have splintered the table to pieces.

"Hey watch it," Celluci told him. "We would have to get a warrant, wake up some judges, as well as the property owners to come down and let us in. Do you know how long that is going to take vampire?"

"Don't ever call me that," Henry and the cop stared face to face.

"I don't care about this fluke of a holiday that you vampires have that makes you mortal for now. You will always be that to me: a demon and a bloodsucker. By the time we start the process, Vicki will turn up. I'm sure of it."

"And when you find her body in Lake Ontario, don't bother calling me," Henry said, "because I will be a vampire again by that time and I'll mostly likely end up killing you instead." He reached over and grabbed his coat. "If you won't help me, I'll look for Vicki myself."

Henry left the meeting room and headed out of the police station.

He wasn't sure of how he was going to search for Vicki without his vampire senses, but wasn't going to stop until his mortal energy ran out.

At least he didn't have to stop for blood or when the sun rose.

And he would search all day for his beloved Victoria.

* * *

_**Uh oh, Asteroth has Vicki and he can neutralize her powers. Please review**_


	5. Chapter 5 — No big hi or hello

**_Our villain makes his physical return. Let's see what happens._**

* * *

**_Chapter 5 - No big hi or hello_**

**_Automotive Plant_**

Her head was dizzy as she struggled to bring herself back to consciousness.

The muffled voices filled her head, but when she tried to grasp her head, Vicki knew something was wrong.

She was restrained at her wrists.

Her whole body was alive now as she struggled to find out what she was restrained to.

"Bring me the first of the two sacrifices," a recognizable voice ordered of one of the followers and Vicki's eyes were suddenly locked on the altar where a challis was on display. Glowing eyes looked at the leader and then suddenly at her. "Ah, my dearest. I hope that my followers were not too rough on you."

"Oh yeah, they have been the most wonderful hosts," she snapped, "…darling."

"Oh don't try and do that to me," Asteroth said. "I know you mean no word of it."

Vicki tried pulling to get away from the wooden cross object that she was suspended from. Her hands were bound to each of the axis's cross points and her feet were restrained by a large iron weight that kept her feet thoroughly on the ground.

"You don't want to be doing that," her ex said to her. "It only turns me on to see you struggle."

She kept trying to get loose.

Suddenly, she watched as a woman who dragged toward the flaming challis. She was around her age with tightly curled red hair.

The woman wore the uniform of your most common street-whore, but even though she had chosen this career path, it still did not give them any right to do what they planned on doing.

"Let her go," Vicki cried out. "You have me. That's all you need right."

"Au contraire my love," the flame said to her. "I need fresh kills in order to assimilate myself back into the world."

"Oh so great, you got five people in mind," she berated him.

"I only need to fill my icon. This one will do half and the other will finish it. And once I am here, there will be nothing to stop us. I just won't take your soul and keep it in my pocket. I'll poison it so that eats itself through you. You'll have no choice, but to stay with me or you will die."

Vicki could hear the other woman struggling to get out of her cage.

"Finish it," Asteroth ordered.

The woman howled at the top of her lungs.

"Hold still Amelia dear," the leader said and cut her throat without hesitation.

Vicki screamed and tried to pull herself off the cross, but was finding it to be too hard for her to do so.

The blood flowed from the wound and filled the carving in the wood platform dais. Once the entire half was filled, the icon glowed with furious fire.

"It is done as you have commanded," the leader told him after he fell to a knee.

"You have done well," Asteroth said. "As your reward, I will let you feel my power."

The leader stood arms stretched at his sides. "And I am ready to accept this honor my lord," he said.

The flame glowed brightly to where Vicki had to turn her face away to avoid the demonic light.

"Hello my darling," Asteroth's regular voice said to her before he turned to face her.

She looked to the leader whose body had been transformed. He was now the body of Raymond Cascioli, her former fiancé who stood in the very flesh before her eyes.

"No," she whispered.

"What?" he asked. "No big hi or hello to your lover."

"For the record, I never slept with you."

He came close to where she was tied down. "But you will. And forget bringing all those demons that I was going to have you bring into the world and then open the Gateway." He smoothed a hand down her face. "This world will be just fine. I could control it and never have to worry about a time schedule or performance review."

Vicki cringed and tried to keep herself away from him.

But Raymond's hand smoothed down her shoulder, the side of her chest, and down her midsection.

"Still as beautiful as ever," he whispered near her ear.

"Your breath still smells," she snapped back.

"I know," he countered her joke. "It's the brimstone. It tends to leave an odor."

His hand made his way past her hip and found the slit in her dress. The creeping flesh smoothed up her nylons and found the garter straps that connected to her nylons.

"I see you were prepared for me," he said. "I cannot wait to have you tomorrow evening."

"Surprisingly," she toyed with him with her whispers in his ear. He wanted to kiss her. "These were prepared for my man…who is more of a man than you will ever be."

Asteroth was furious and she felt it in the slap that came once across her left cheek and a repeat on her right.

"As I guessed," she said. "You'd batter me until I gave you what you wanted."

He was about to strike her again, when his flaming form was pulled from the body and back to where it originally was; in the challis.

The leader was rendered weak and collapsed to his knees.

"You defile yourself by being with a vampire?" the flaming entrails of her ex asked.

"No. I purify myself by being with Henry Fitzroy who will always be the man in my heart before I will ever embrace you as my love," she retorted.

"Take this whore from my sight," Asteroth ordered of his followers. "I will purify her tomorrow evening."

And darkness took her again.

Her grogginess allowed her to see that she was dragged away from the light of the flame into the darkness.

Vicki heard the sound of metal opening and she was chucked into the cage. She crashed to the cold concrete with a thud as the door was closed.

"Not exactly the Honeymoon suite," she said.

"What were you expecting from this monster?" someone said to her.

She looked into a cage that was right next to hers and was shocked to see the person next to her.

"Hannah?" Vicki answered. "Hannah Royce?"

The woman crawled to the edge of the bars to look at her. "You've heard of me?" the woman asked.

Now she knew they were both in danger.

* * *

**_Please review_**


	6. Chapter 6 — Faking it

**_So Vicki is prisoner, Asteroth is going to try and claim her again, Henry is out searching, and bodies are piling up. What is going to happen here?_**

* * *

**_Chapter 6 - Faking it_**

**_Nelson Investigations_**

Henry Fitzroy stood looking out the bay window of Vicki's office, watching the rain pour from the heavens. It was really coming down.

The door opened suddenly and he sprung; hoping to see Vicki walk through the door.

"Vicki," he called her name,

But it was not her.

It was Mike Celluci.

"Oh, it's just you," he replied with disappointment again.

"Yeah, well hello to you to," the bedraggled detective replied.

"Did you find her?" Coreen's frantic voice asked.

"I went searching throughout the Industrial Area and, well before I was chased out by wild guard dogs, I searched that area high and low for Vicki," Mike told her. "We'll have to wait until dawn before the dayshift comes on and then we can really overlook that place."

"By then, Vicki could be dead for all we know," Henry snapped.

"Hey, I have an APB out on her and a picture of her in all the cabs," Mike defended doing his job. "She has to turn up sometime, but in the meantime, you need to relax. Your special time with Vicki is taking a backseat to my looking for her."

Henry shoved a glass vase that was filled with flowers and water off of Coreen's desk.

"I wish I was a vampire right now because I would love to throw you down to the floor and kick your...," he replied.

"All right, you two have to knock it off," Coreen said. "We'll find her…I know we will."

"But after the holiday is over," Henry softly added and headed to sit in Vicki's office on the sofa.

He was not alone long when Coreen walked in to sit by him.

"OK, it's time to spill," she said as she wrapped her arms around her legs. "What can I do?"

"It's just been so hard," he started his confession. "When Vicki and I first met, it was because I needed her. I mean, I was a vampire and needed help to kill the summoner during the day. Then it was mainly to see how far she would really go into seducing her."

"Then you found yourself being seduced by her," Coreen added in.

He let out a quick, yet quiet snort. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"It's not pathetic Henry," she told him. "You love her. There is nothing that can defeat that."

"I never should have left her," he said as he brushed away the salty tear from his eye. "I should have just thrown her in the back of the car and take her with me. Dammit!" he shouted as he stood up suddenly. "I wish I was not mortal! I would be able to sense her, track her."

"We'll find her Henry. Don't worry."

The phone started ringing and Coreen raced to get it.

"Vicki Nelson Investigations," she answered.

"_Coreen, it's me_," the voice replied back.

"Vicki," the assistant said the name that Henry and Mike had been longing to hear from all day.

* * *

**The Plant**

Vicki watched in horror as the Asteroth, who had again possessed the leader's body in order to communicate using her cell-phone from her purse, as he dialed her office.

One of the minions had gagged her in order to keep her quiet. She was also pinned against the bars so she had to watch and not rip out the gag.

He was even sick enough to pretend to use her voice and do it right in front of her face.

"Yeah it's me Coreen," his lips moved with her voice flying out of it. "I wanted to ask you to call Henry and tell him that I am on a stakeout with my source. We're trying to get into the office right now and not having so much luck."

* * *

_**Nelson Investigations**_

Coreen put the phone on her shoulder and spoke to Henry and Mike that were staring her down. "She's with her source," she told them. "They're in the process of breaking in right now."

Mike took the phone from her and spoke.

"Vicki," he said her name,

"_Mike? What are you doing there_?" Vicki's voice chimed in a state of shock.

"Looking for you," the officer replied. "Who are you with?"

"_My informant_."

"Cut the BS Vicki. I have Paulo Fontana on a slab in the morgue right now and I know that you were working with him so I have him, then who are you with?"

* * *

**The plant**

Asteroth looked at her and their eyes met. "I'm with his partner," he said, still imitating her voice. "He had someone else that he was working with so ah, perfect. He got the door open so I have to go now."

"_Wait Vicki_," Asteroth heard the voice of Henry Fitzroy in the background call out and soon, Vicki's new lover was on the other end. "I_ thought we had plans for tonight since we keep cancelling on one another_?"

"We did…" he replied in her tongue, but was biting back snapping at him, "but you know that I need to finish this job. How about next weekend?"

"_What_?" Fitzroy replied. "_By then it will be too late_."

"Too late for what?" he asked.

"_Nevermind_," Fitzroy's tone changed from anxious and questioning to overbearing disappointment. The demon did find it amusing. "_I'll call you later_."

"Call when I am finished," he said. "Bye," and closed the phone.

He watched as Vicki collapsed into the cell upon being released, removing the gag, and cried with her arms wrapped around her face to prevent anyone from seeing her.

"Oh, you'll get over it," he said and walked away.

* * *

**Nelson Investigations**

Henry hung up the phone softly; as though it would break if put down too harshly.

Mike and Coreen knew exactly what had been said and waited for him to say something.

"Hey Henry," Coreen tried to say to him, "you know how she gets when she is fixated on a case. She cannot stop until she solves it."

"I guess," he replied.

The former vampire went to the coat rack and yanked his jacket off of it.

"Where are you going?" Celluci asked.

"To drown my sorrows in being mortal," he snapped and walked out.

The air was cold on the street and it actually made him feel cold. He had not known this type of cold in a long time, but he did not know what was colder: his body or his heart.

Vicki had purposely shattered his entire hope and dream of being with her by cancelling on him yet again. He did not even know how much longer he had as a mortal, but the minutes were ticking down.

Henry returned home to his condo, despondent that his newfound mortality was about to end. He had nearly a day remaining.

He had enjoyed what pleasures he could as a mortal: eating regular food, walking in sunlight, and even cutting himself on a knife and needing a bandage to keep in the blood.

There was only one thing left that he wanted to experience: be with the woman he loved without killing her.

But Vicki had called saying that she was going to be gone all weekend undercover and was not even sorry that she cancelled on him.

Henry would simply not go and find someone to experience pleasure with. There was only one that he wanted and that was Vicki.

So that would a desire that he would have to fulfill in five thousand years when this happened again.

Who even knew if he or if the world would live to be that long?

He grabbed a glass of wine from the table where he kept it, poured a glass of the rich Merlot, and walked out to the terrace.

The city was alive below him, but as a mortal, he could not hear anything that they were saying.

All he wanted to do was beg for sunrise to come and he could be free again.

He would be immortal again and free of these depressive thoughts.

For the first time in a long as he could remember and taste, a fresh tear fell down his cheek.

Henry found the air to be chilly and headed inside his room. Once there, he crashed to his bed and silently wept to himself.

* * *

_**I want to cry. Please review**_


	7. Chapter7 — Faithful

_**Will Vicki get free? Will time run out? Will Hannah end up the same as the other girls? You will have to read to find out**_

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Faithful**

**The Plant**

Derrick was standing near the altar. It was still daytime as he made his way through the industrial complex to where he needed to be.

His followers would be there soon.

After finishing the lighting of the final candle, the challis exploded into flame and the eyes of his master Asteroth looked to him.

"Tonight is the night," his master said. "With the final sacrifice and her cleansing, Victoria will at last be mine. She will reach into the pits of Hell and pull me free. Then no one will stop our union together."

"And what of our reward as your faithful followers," Derrick asked.

"Yes," Asteroth replied. "Once the moon is high on Sunday tomorrow, Victoria will be completely embraced by the darkness. Did you get everything we need for tonight's part of the ritual?"

"I did my master," he replied. "Not to bring about your anger, but what if your bride cannot be purified? What if she has been tainted beyond the point of cleansing?"

"The moon and the potion you are about to make for her will be stronger than any will that she has," the flaming eyes replied. "She will belong to me and you will be rewarded with everything your wildest dreams can complete. Now, please, get to work on the potion."

And he did as his master ordered.

It was near twilight. Soon the brainwashed children of Asteroth would return to take care of them.

* * *

Vicki awoke to find Hannah Royce hard at work. She was trying to bend the poles that separated their cages and be able to crawl into their same cells together.

"Hey," Hannah said, "you woke up finally."

"I was thrown for a loop," she replied. "I cannot believe that I actually fell asleep on this floor. What time is it?"

"It's Saturday," the woman replied. "Nearly sunset."

Vicki looked and saw that a bar was nearly pried loose. "How are you doing that?" she asked

"Oh," Hannah replied, "I've been a softball pitcher since I was younger. It's how I met my fiancé. He's an umpire."

"Very cute," she replied. "At least your boyfriend has a day job."

"Well, yours is not exactly Prince Charming."

"Oh? Him?" she said. "He's just a magical demon who thinks he can win girls by seducing them with black magic."

"Has he succeeded?"

"Once, until my real beau beat him to a pulp and saved me."

"So what does this boyfriend do?"

"He's a comic book artist," Vicki replied.

Hannah chuckled and it took the edge off their current situation a little. They were still in danger, but at least they were smiling.

Finally, one of the bars pried loose and she popped it off.

"There, this should prove to be good when they come back for us," Hannah replied and hid it off to the side. "Want to give me a hand with some more?"

"Show me where to pull," she answered.

Royce pointed and Vicki started pulling.

That was when her fellow captive spoke out about something.

"Your markings, Celtic?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "How did you know that?"

"I'm taking a class in Irish and Celtic culture," Royce replied in return. "I am studying abroad there next year after I get married. Do you know what it is or means?"

Vicki displayed the marking for her. "It's supposedly is a shield of protection, but as you can see it needs to be returned to the manufacturer."

"It should never fail. Did they do something to you when you were captured?"

"The leader threw some sort of object or bottle at me and the shield collapsed. They grabbed me too fast before I was able to fight back," she told her fellow captive. "Of all the times I need it against my demon ex-fiancée and it decides not to work."

Hannah took her wrist and cradled it in her hands. "This marking is bound to your blood," the redhead said to her. "It is still a marking and can still be used. You have to believe in something that you want more than life and it should restore the balance and bring back your powers.

Vicki was about to speak in thanks and ask how she could believe in something when Asteroth's demon followers were coming toward their cages.

"Take her," the female ordered of them.

"No," Vicki pleaded as the guards opened Hannah's cage. She knew exactly what they were going to do to her.

Vicki slipped into the other cage through the opening and tried to fight them to keep Hannah Royce alive, but one of the brutes close-lined her back into the rear of the cage.

"It is not your time yet our queen," the girl said to her.

The guards had Hannah as she struggled to get free.

"Remember what I said Vicki," Hannah howled at her as she was taken away. "You have to believe!"

Vicki could only watch in horror as the woman was bent over forward and her throat was slit in the same way that Amelia's had been the night before.

The student screamed before they were muted by gargles and finally nothing.

Hannah was dead…and it was all because of her.

"Why do you do this?" Vicki begged to know.

"We do as the Master has ordered us to do," one of the female followers replied. "He has requested you to be cleansed and returned to him. He also has asked for us to prepare the way for him so that when he does return, you will greet him."

"OK so when Asteroth has me in his flaming arms of death and no longer has a use for you and tells you and your friends to go jump off the nearest cliff to your death, you're going to be a brain-dead idiot and do it?" she asked with her hands gripped on the bars.

"We will do as we are ordered," the female repeated to her.

Their conversation was interrupted when the leader came over with a challis in his hands. It was warm by the steam that rose from it.

"A beverage from your master and lord," he said to her. "He is offering it to you."

"Then you drink it," she snapped at him.

The man looked to his followers. "Take her," he ordered.

The guards opened the doors and the rest of them came to try and hold her still; no doubt to force her to drink the liquid.

Vicki tried to fight off the cultists, but she was slammed up against the bars and held back with her arms interwoven in the bars. One of the guards grabbed her by one of her straps and it tore in the back.

The leader came close to her. "Open," he ordered.

One of the guards pulled her by her braid and yanked her head back. She was dizzy from the thrusting impact.

He poured the liquid into her open mouth and slapped his hand over it to make sure that she swallowed the liquid.

The burning liquid tasted like blood and wine mixed together with some sort of herbs as it rode down her throat.

They released her and she collapsed to her knees under the weakness in her body. From the point that the liquid entered her throat and rode down, her body began to grow weaker.

"What did you do to me?" she tried to demand an answer from her gasping breaths.

"Brought you closer to your master," the leader said to her. "Your soul will be ripe for taking now when he has his strength back. It is only a matter of hours before you will be his bride once again."

Vicki tried to listen and lock in on him, but she was getting weaker by the second.

Eventually, she collapsed to the cold stone floor.

"Henry," she begged. "Please…find…" and blackness took her.

* * *

**_Oh no. Will she be with Henry or Asteroth?_**


	8. Chapter8 — Friend in need

_**Let's find out if Vicki can get free. **_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Friend in Need**

**Henry's Apartment**

Augustus arrived to Henry's apartment.

He knew that his friend was probably going to need comfort knowing that today was going to be his last day as a mortal. Once it reached morning tomorrow, Fitzroy would return to the vampirial creature he had known for the past four-hundred years.

He only hoped that he had savored all the things that he desired or had wanted over this time as an immortal and bringing some of his fondest dreams to life.

The condo was empty and quiet. The blinds allowed fresh sunlight to pour into the home, bringing a much needed breath of fresh air.

"Henry," Augustus called out for him.

But he got no response.

The Watcher called again.

He opened the doors to Henry's room and found him, sitting on the corner of his bed. His hand was dancing in the sunlight that shined in while his other entertained a bottle of wine.

"It's amazing," Henry said.

"What is?" he asked.

"Something so beautiful, so warm, and caressing to a mortal can be as powerful and deadly to a vampire," the vampire prince spoke to him; a nursery rhyme from his mouth. "Why is that we fear it so?"

"Because you'll die if you do," he said.

"I do not fear death," Henry said to him and took a swig of the bottle as he walked out of the room into the main room. "I welcome it now after this hellish experience."

Augustus knew that this was not Henry talking. No, this was a very depressed Henry Fitzroy.

"I take it that your lady friend did not come to you?" he surmised in guessing.

"More obsessed with her work than being with me," he said and took a long drink. "You know, you would think that I saved the woman's life," as he turned and faced him, "that she would be throwing herself at me in thanking me with her words and her body, but no. She would rather be off on some stupid assignment than be with me. Maybe she would have been happier if I stayed away."

"Now, now," Augustus said as he took the bottle from him. "This is the wine talking. You're not immortal right now and this stuff will kill you."

"Kind of the point of my speech," Henry said and collapsed in his weakness, but that is when Fitzroy grasped onto his robe and started to cry. "All I wanted since the moment I laid eyes on her was to be with her. But every time I dream of taking her into my arms, I wind up killing her from the lust and not being able to control myself."

That was why Henry was in a drunken stupor right now. His lady had turned against him and not come to him when he asked.

"Let's sit down and stop this behavior right now," he said. Augustus was going to try and calm him down before he left. It would make the transition back to a vampire much easier. "You know that your lady Victoria cares for you. She must be very close to solving this case and will be over tonight when she realizes what she is missing. You still have this evening."

"Pending miracles not withstanding," Henry replied, but then looked up at him. "What will happen to me…as I revert back into a vampire?"

"I have no idea," he answered. "This is unheard of in our lifetime. I would imagine that it would be something in the sensation of when you were changed; when you became a vampire."

"Joys," Fitzroy replied. "Not only does my heart get to break until the morning, but I can relive that nightmare again."

Augustus decided to stay with Henry until the time would call him to leave.

His friend needed him right now.

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_Please review_


	9. Chapter9 — Believe

_**She has to get out of there. Let's see how she takes that advice and if she can get free of him**_

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**Chapter 9: Believe**

_**Automotive Plant **_

It was Sunday night when Vicki awoke from being drugged with the wine that they had shoved down her throat. Her head was still woozy, but she forced herself up.

The cult followers of Asteroth were all assembled in their robes and were chanting to the flame. Only one of them was left to watch her. Soon, he would no doubt take her to the altar to become part of Asteroth again.

That was what she feared the most.

Boy what she wouldn't do to be able to repeat this day over again like she did almost a year ago. She finally got the things in order the correct way and made everything OK. She would remedy her current situation by cancelling on Fontana (if he was even alive anymore) and would have gone straight to Henry's. Right now, she should be thoroughly locked in his arms hopefully having sex like she had never felt before.

She rested her head on the bars and stared at the moon through the smeared window.

"Oh Henry," she whispered to the moon.

And her hand twinged and twitched.

She looked down at her wrist; she repeated by saying Henry's name and the Celtic Shield of Protection glowed again.

Vicki remembered what Hannah had said as she watched the flame of her soon-to-be-husband released. She had been given the key to escaping.

She had to get the shield working again around her.

Vicki meditated in her head, saying the same mantra over and over again in order to focus. "I do believe in me," she uttered to herself quietly. "I do believe in myself. Help me to return to the man I love. I do believe in myself. Help me to return to the man I love."

Her wrist started glowing bright blue as it had when the mark had been changed in the first place. It chilled her skin and bone to the core of her body. She felt different.

She felt powerful again.

The guard that was watching her saw what was happening. "Hey," he called to her.

Vicki looked up at him as the guard was unlocking her cage door. _That's it you idiot_, she uttered. _Open the damn door_.

The cultist entered her cell as she finally had her fingers secured around the pipe.

When he reached out to get her, the shield flashed to life again and she was coated in the teal frame that encased her body.

"Yee ha," she said quietly and snapped back to her feet.

The guard that was watching her was the easiest to take care of. She hit him upside the head and tossed him into the corner of her cage. She then shut the door and tossed the key into a scrap-pile.

Vicki moved her way around the plant. She did not know where she was or where there was a way out of the factory, but she needed to find one and in a hurry.

She went toward a glow, thinking it was a street light shining through a window. That would be her way out.

No such luck. It took her right to the altar of the demon that was trying to get her back in the first place.

The flame ignited and there were Asteroth's eyes looking at her.

"Get her!" Asteroth's voice shouted.

The followers came in response and attacked her.

Using the pipe with fist of fury, Vicki beat them with the pipe upside the head, in the groins on the males, and destroyed the X shaped cross that she had been hanging from earlier.

Her attention finally diverted back to her ex-husband-to-be's glowing challis and eyes.

"Don't my love," Asteroth tried to tenderize her. "You know you don't."

"You know what darling," she said in tired frustration, "I think we should start seeing other people…" took a long hard swing at the challis that was glowing with Asteroth's eyes looking at her.

The challis went flying across the plant and ceased from glowing. "Damn. I should play for Jays," she joked.

The followers she had previously beaten up got back their feet and wanted more.

"Oh I am going to have fun now," she dared them.

Vicki kicked through the one that came at her and then took the pipe around the neck of another to hurl him over her shoulders. Her anger released something that she had never felt before, but she liked it.

The leader tried to come at her. The shield jumped up and stopped him, but that did not stop her from taking the pipe and ramming in between his legs.

"Here's your master bitch," she spat.

Once he was down, Vicki took off at a sprint to find a way out of the factory. There was no way that she was going to be able to get her purse and stuff, but that was fine. She needed to get out of here.

Finally, she located a loose metal panel along the wall. She reached down and pulled it upward so she could slide through.

She was just barely through, when someone tried grabbing her ankle, but it was too late. She was out and free.

Once through the security fencing, she made her way back to the nearest main street where a taxi was passing by. She dashed into the street, flagging him down.

The cab stopped in a hurry in front of her and she climbed into the car.

"Holy hell woman," the driver said. "What are you doing out here in Old Town?"

"Don't ask," she said. "Take me Downtown please."

The driver pulled away and took her to where she wanted to go.

* * *

_Yay, she got away. Hopefully she won't get there too late._


	10. Chapter 10 -- The Night I cannot forget

_**OK, we are at the part that I know that some of you have been waiting for. If you find this topic to be out of your element, when you see the , move along.**_

_**I found that the love scene was best when you had "Sorry" by Buckcherry playing in the background.**_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The night I cannot forget**

_**Apartment of Henry Fitzroy**_

The moon rose over the night sky and Henry knew that this was the last sunset that he would see in his immortal life. The feast of the undead was almost over. Soon he would be restored to the vampire that he had known for over four-hundred years.

But his plan to be with his precious Victoria was coming to a closing failure. She had not been by since he asked her to come. She did not come over, was not answering her phone, and had not been back to the office.

No one knew where she was. Her contact had been killed and she had said that she was with him. Perhaps she was entertaining someone else. She had called saying that she was tracking stolen money from the Garrison Construction CO. to the mob and she thought it would take all weekend.

"So," he said. "This is it. My last few hours as a mortal and to spend it alone." He watched as the Borealis lights were fading.

There was a knock to the door.

He was not going to answer it. He just wanted to watch the dancing colors.

"Henry?" he heard a voice that he had wanted to hear in over the weekend; not from outside his doors, but in the throes of passion.

It was Vicki outside the door.

He ran to and threw the door open and saw her.

She looked horrid. There was a gash at her temple, her blond hair was disheveled, and her long black dress had a torn strap that hung in front.

"Vicki," he said and embraced her as she was in need of someone to take care of her. "Where have you been?"

"I was on my way here to have dinner when I was grabbed on a street corner," she tried to explain beyond her tears. "They took me to an abandoned automotive plant…"

"Who did?" he asked as he guided her inside.

"Asteroth recruited this cult of freaks," she told him as she sat down on the couch. "They wanted to kill a woman every night during the Northern Lights in trying to release him and make me a part of him again. They killed two other women they found, but when they came for me, I was ready. I reached and got my hands on a sharp pole. Once I got to it, I used it, beat up the altar and got out of dodge and came here." She was talking frantically even beyond her gasping breaths.

"Whoa, calm down," he told her. "Calm down Vicki. You're safe now. You'll always be safe here." Suddenly, he was not angry with her ditching their romantic weekend together. "You got out and got away and that is all the mattered." He started checking over her body for injuries. "You have a lot of cuts. You should probably go take a shower and get cleaned up."

"Thanks," she replied and got up so she could go and take a shower.

Once he heard the shower water running, Henry quickly ran to his bedroom and tried to get it ready from when he woke up. He straightened the sheets and comforter but pulled that down halfway so it would be inviting to her once she was clean.

It wasn't that he was trying to seduce Vicki, but it would make her comfortable and if things happened, he would be ready.

"Clothes," he said and went into his closet to look for something for her to wear. He found his favorite red silk blouse and some old boxer shorts that he took out so she did not have to put on the muddy and disheveled dress.

"Henry," he heard her call out for him from the shower.

He grabbed the clothes and walked, nerves on fire and his heart pounding, toward his bathroom. Steam poured from the room so it was clear that Vicki was enjoying her shower.

"Right here," he said, not wanting to enter and frighten her. "Did you need something?"

"I do not know where the towels were," she spoke to him. "Where are they?"

"I can get you one," he said, "or they are in the cupboard by the sink." He smoothed the clothes in his hand. "I am going to enter so to leave you some clothes to change into."

"Enter," she said.

He walked in and tried not to look at Vicki's silhouette amongst the fogged doors, steam, and water, but he did see her. She was even more beautiful in all the other times that he had seen her without a shirt on. He smelt the sweet scent of his wash as it filled the air.

What he would not want to walk into the shower and take her in his arms? But he resisted and stayed away as he left the shower room. "Leaving," he said.

Henry stopped to breathe and get his body and feelings under control. His body was running on overdrive, the hormones racing through him as his emotions caused his hands to shake uncontrollably.

He hated this part about being mortal.

The shower shut off and the door opened.

He waited until finally Vicki rounded the corner as she was buttoning the last button on the red silk top.

She looked dizzy and he rushed over to grab her before she fell down.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I think the water was a little too hot," she said. "Got a little dizzy."

"But do you feel better?"

"Much," she replied.

He guided her to the bed and helped her to sit down. "I think you should stay here tonight," he said. "Just in case Asteroth has sent them out to look for you."

"Might be good," she replied, feeling the bed, and tucked her legs underneath. He took the edge and covered her up.

"You go to sleep," he said. "I'm going to take the couch out in the living room." He was about to leave.

"Henry," she called out to him and he turned to face her.

Vicki touched the area beside her.

This was his invitation and he walked over to take his place beside her. He climbed under the blanket and held Vicki against him. Her body was soft and warm to his warm body as well, but he didn't think that she noticed.

He desired to hold her like this throughout the weekend, but their time was growing limited.

"Henry," she said his name.

"Yeah," he answered, looking deep into her eyes.

"What is it that you were going to tell me?" she asked.

"Oh it's nothing," he said. "In fact, it is about over."

"What is?"

"The feast," he told her.

"What feast?" she asked.

"The only ceremony that vampires actually observe," he said. "A feast where vampires stop to reflect on the lifetimes that they had lived by not feeding for an entire weekend and perform an act of penance for those mortals we have done wrong."

"Have you?" she asked.

"I gave money to the Opera House," he told her. "I tend to feed in that area a lot and I felt that giving them money and time would make up for it."

"I guess," she said.

"But this one was different," he blurted out.

"In what way?"

Henry climbed out of bed and swung his legs over the opposite side. "The difference is that this Feast fell on the weekend of the Northern Lights and the rare planetary alignment. It….changed…." He got up and walked to the window to look out at the buildings beyond it.

The lights were still retreating, but they were still there.

"Changed you how?" she asked him. "Henry you are scaring me. Changed you how?"

"I became as you are," he told her with fierceness in his face and the eyes. "A mortal."

He stared into her eyes that teared up with fear or joy, he could not tell.

"That is why I wanted you to come to me this weekend," he told her, looking out the window. "I always dreamed of having you, but every time that I do, the dream concludes with me losing control and killing you. When I realized that I could be mortal for one moment, I immediately thought of you," he concluded as he turned away to face the window.

He watched her stand from the bed in the reflection of the window and walk across the floor to him. Her arms wove around to his abdomen and rested near his belt.

"It's almost Monday," she told him.

"I know," he replied. "Come dawn, I will be returned to what you have always known me as; a vampire."

She moved her hands to where he was forced to turn and look to her.

"Plenty of time," she said to him. Softly and nervously, her fingers moved down the front of the blouse, unbuttoning the buttons. When they were undone, her hands went to her shoulders and slid the red silk down her arms and off her body to the floor.

Henry could feel himself losing control not of his body, but his emotions as well. He swallowed hard, unable to move, but he analyzed every part of Vicki's body that was before him now.

***Stop here if squeamish ***

He reached out, fearing that she would retreat from him or vanish and this moment was yet another dream. No, she was there and she did not run. As his hands stroked the strong sides of her abdomen, her nimble fingers worked at the buttons of his dress shirt. She moved slowly, causing his emotion to rise higher and higher as her hands moved lower and lower.

She removed the shirt at the same time that her smooth hands stroked down his arms. He had to pull his hands out of the cuffs.

He interwove his hands under her arms, feeling every touch as she held him to her. Her skin was still warm from the shower with very little moisture remaining, but the water mixed with the perspiration across her flesh.

He was unable to withstand this seduction anymore. He wanted to take Vicki right now.

"Henry," Vicki whispered to him in longing.

"Shh," he gestured to her and closed his mouth around hers. She tasted sweet as wine that came from his father's private stores. Their tongues, delving into the hot moist depths of their mouths danced with one other.

They broke from one another and he reached down to lift her into his arms.

She nibbled at his neck as he carried her toward the bed where they had just been lying together. He put her down on her knees and he crawled into the bed to be in the same position.

They were kissing still and her hands moved toward his belt, but he reached down and stopped her.

"Wait," he said to her amongst his gasping breaths.

"Wait," she asked him. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

He smiled. "Are we sure about this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want you Vicki, do not get me wrong. I do not wish to protect you, Victoria. I long to taste, kiss, and touch every square inch of your body. I want to feel you under me, hear you moan and cry out my name in ecstasy."

"Took the words out of my mouth," she answered.

Henry smiled and pulled her quivering body against his. "Then where were we?" he asked.

Vicki played with some of his hair. "Right…about…here," she said as she had his choker in hand, and used her body weight to drag him down over her.

It took not a second before his fingers slipped into her hair to pull her neck to one side so he could bury his face into her wet blond tresses. His mouth nuzzled and if he were still a vampire would have savored on her blood and flesh.

The night continued forward.

Henry missionarly held Vicki down on the bed with the blanket wrapping tightly around them. They were tied together as their kisses kept them joined to the head and the sheet secured the rest of their bodies against one another.

He buried his face into the crook of her neck to inhale the sweet scent of the shampoo and her natural body scent filled and overwhelmed his senses.

He pulled her hands in his out of the entrapment, kissed the newly christened markings, and then pressed them against the pillows. She was his prisoner and would not let go of her. He kissed her neck, shoulders, and chest; tasting each and every part of her.

Finally, her cry of pleasure filled the room.

"Vicki." her name escaped his parted lips as he took a breath.

"Henry," she cried his name to him.

They looked into each other's eyes, wide with ecstasy in dilation; hers sparkled up at him. It was intoxicating to look at, but he did not want to hurt her in anyway, shape, or form.

"Are you OK?" he asked her.

"I should be asking you that," she replied and looked to the clock. "We still have time."

She pushed herself up and straddled his legs, which proved to be difficult with the sheet so tightly wrapped around them.

They resumed after the break. She continued the motion while he held her close to her body. His hands slid to cup her face in them.

They kissed again, her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth and his tongue greeting and dancing with her own.

Rolling to lie on his back and not allowing her mouth to leave his, Vicki trapped him between her body and the bed. She was his and only his, now in this moment and forever. A moment that he longed to have with her since the day they met nearly two years ago.

Vicki looked down at him, a predator who had pinned her prey to the ground. Her hands rubbed him across his abdomen, his tight chest, and finally she grasped a handful of his hair in her hands.

"Consume me," he begged of her. "Take me to your lair and consume me."

*** If you were skipping, you can pick it up here ***

After another couple of hours in their tryst, Vicki rested with her head pillowed on his shoulder. Henry held her tight to him, bringing his head up to rest his forehead against hers, willing himself to calm, to breathe, and to think.

They had been enthralled in each other for at least the past five hours, lovemaking and relaxing and back again.

It was the greatest feeling alive, being with the woman he loved.

Vicki shifted and opened her eyes to look at him. "Are you not going to sleep?" she asked him.

"And miss this?" he said, toying with a lock of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. "Not a chance."

She nuzzled into him tighter and he brought her as close as she could be.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"What?"

"I asked 'what are you thinking about?" she repeated her question.

"Thinking about you. You are the strongest willed woman I have ever met," he said to her. "You were amazing."

"Well, I have had a lot of experience," she said to him with a chuckle. "I also had a great partner. I never could have gotten this from Asteroth, I'm sure of it."

He chuckled. "No one has made me feel the way I feel for you. Never in 500 years have I experienced this sort of love and eroticism.

"But even you can not fight what we have between us forever. I've tasted your desire for me Victoria, your love and passion toward me. I want to fight for that and have it for eternity, but I will not take it until you come to me willingly, you have my word."

"Thank you," she said to him.

————————-

"Vicki, I…"

Suddenly, he gasped and his back arched in pain. His body felt on fire as he turned away from Vicki.

He had felt this sort of pain before, but only once before. It was the same as he felt almost 500 years ago.

The night he became a vampire.

"Henry," she called his name.

His body was stronger, his senses more acute, and his thirst was coming back.

"Henry," he heard her call again.

He turned to face her as his vampire eyes slid to black as his fangs emerged. He was overwhelmed by her pounding heartbeat and her intoxicating scent. The blood in her body was deafening him to fulfill his dream and take her life.

It was just as Augustus said. After the holiday, the lights, and the alignment were over, he would return to the creature he once was, and he could possibly harm Vicki.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You need to go," he told her. "You need to leave, now."

"Henry you are scaring me," she said to him. "What is happening?"

"Go!" he growled. His eyes were black and his fangs borne for her to see.

Vicki rose from the bed in fear and shock in her once passion filled eyes. She grasped the sheet around her body and quickly left out the door.

Henry stood up and slammed the bedroom doors closed.

He did not want anyone to see him weep as he slid down the door. He wept tears as he leaned against the door.

* * *

Vicki could see Henry through the square panels of glass in the door. He was cuddled on the floor and was crying. It was the first time that she had seen or heard him cry.

But she watched as the sunrise was coming. Once it got to a certain level, the shutters closed to keep the sun out.

It was Monday which meant that Henry had returned to what he once was…a vampire.

She wanted to cry, but knew that she had to be getting home. Mike was no doubt looking for her and Coreen was probably scared to death.

She gathered the remnants of her black dress before grabbing Henry's long jacket to wear over her and walked out of the apartment.

However, she did weep in the elevator.

Greg the doorman wondered what was going on and why she was in tears. "Ms. Nelson?" he called her name, but she left, hailed a cab, and headed for home.

Henry watched painfully as Victoria Nelson, the woman he loved as she hailed a cab and it left. He saw her wearing his long, black jacket to cover her naked body. He did not mind.

The shutters began to close as the sun was nearly up and he needed to get into bed before he collapsed into his deep sleep.

Slowly and painfully, he crawled into the bed and collapsed into the intimately tossed sheets. Her scent was all over the silk and he found himself wrapping tightly into it so be surrounded by it before he slept.

The vampire sense and sleep grabbed hold of him and he sunk into his first deep sleep all weekend.

* * *

**Nelson Investigations**

Vicki Nelson walked into her office and hoped that her assistant Coreen was not there. She wanted to get in and hide in her office until she took a shower.

She showered yet again and rinsed her body clean. Not that she was trying to wash Henry from her body, but she did not want anyone to be able to smell his cologne on her. She had extra clothes in the office that she would be able to wear for the day.

She could feel the sensual marks on her body where Henry had touched and grasped hold of her. She had a couple noticeable marks on her neck and shoulders so she would make sure that she was wearing a turtleneck today to hide them.

As she was stroking on the soap, she found herself collapsing into her weeping and fell to the shower floor. She was not weeping in regret for this evening, but in fear that Henry would be OK.

She hoped that he would be OK and that he would come to her that evening.

They had a lot to talk about.

Everything had changed.

* * *

_**Please review as this is the end of Book 2 and there is more to come...you won't want to miss Book 3**_


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